


Brass and Reeds

by magicianlogician12



Series: Heart of Steel [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-03 22:38:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6629821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicianlogician12/pseuds/magicianlogician12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tabitha is having tuning difficulties. Haylen offers to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brass and Reeds

Tabi sat with her legs crossed at the front of the Prydwen’s flight deck, looking down at the land and ocean below. The sun approached the horizon, and the light began to dwindle, turning the blue sky the color of a dying flame. With a sigh, Tabi set her rifle with its half-filled magazine of brass-cased bullets aside and picked up the main source of her frustration–a partially-disassembled alto saxophone.

It wasn’t Tabi’s old one–it had been stored in her parents’ house, and considering where they lived when the bombs went off, it had likely been destroyed or salvaged for whatever material was useful. This one was one Tabi had found in a dilapidated music store farther south. Most everything there was destroyed or had fallen into disrepair–this saxophone included. Tabi had been trying for weeks to get this saxophone in working order. She knew not enough about instrument repair, but the instrument was already unplayable–Tabi knew she likely couldn’t make things any worse.

After the past few weeks, though, Tabi was about ready to put a reed in and start the massive task of tuning the instrument, a task she figured was best done outside, where its undoubtedly horrid sounds wouldn’t interrupt anything. Sticking one of the reeds she’d found at that store in her mouth to begin wetting it, Tabi put the pieces of the saxophone back together.

“Tabi?”

Tabi turned her head at Haylen’s voice and saw the scribe in question standing several feet away, arms crossed and a brow arched inquisitively. Tabi smiled, reed still in her mouth. Her words, when she spoke, were slightly muffled. “Yes, Haylen?”

“What are you doing?” Haylen uncrossed her arms and approached, carefully moving Tabi’s rifle out of the way before sitting cross-legged where it had lain.

Tabi took the reed out of her mouth. “Putting this saxophone together. I’m going to start tuning it.”

“You can play?” Haylen shuffled closer to get a better look.

“I played a long time ago. One of the many activities my mother wanted me to undertake, but the only one I actually enjoyed.” Tabi’s smile was humorless; she didn’t speak much of her family nowadays, but Haylen picked up enough to know their relationship had not been a good one. “I hadn’t played much since leaving home–years before I entered the Vault. Maybe it’ll come back to me.”

Haylen watched in fascinated silence as Tabi finished putting the instrument back together. She picked up a harmonica and played a single note, then pressed some keys on the saxophone. When she breathed out, though, the sound that emerged was nothing like it should have been–it was more reminiscent of a screech. Both Haylen and Tabi winced, and Tabi sighed as she leaned back.

“I’m guessing that wasn’t supposed to happen.” Haylen said wryly.

“No.” Tabi pursed her lips. “I knew restoring this thing would be a challenge. Tuning is the final major hurdle, though.”

Haylen reached over Tabi’s lap and picked up the harmonica she’d set down, holding it up. “Which note?” she asked.

Tabi paused, blinked, then smiled. “The one at the end.” she indicated by pointing. “Am I to understand that you’re going to help me tune this monstrosity?”

“I don’t know anything about tuning.” Haylen replied frankly, “But now I want to know what this thing sounds like when it sounds correct.”

Tabi shifted her legs and pressed a few of the saxophone’s keys. “All right, then,” she said, nodding for Haylen to play the note, “let’s get started, then.”


End file.
